Pneumatically-operated player mechanism for musical instruments



Aug; '19, 1930. R. H. COLLEN R PNEUMATICALLY OPERATED PLAYER MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed July 24, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l/YVEHTOR ROBERT fif/IRY 601.0177 5) 11/6 AT 7' OR/Yf VS 2 Shuts-Shut 2 R. H. COLLEN w 0 ,mym 7 m mmn M v H A m f b @MHM m w R 0 Filed July 24, 1928 Aug. 19, 1930.

rnauu-ncnwz orsaursn PLAYER lzcmmlsl son uusrcu. ms-munus t 5 lows,-it is thecommon 5 7 usually from the said "Patented Au 19,1930

I ab tain: GOLLEimfo i- EAST HAM; me ns; assrenon wh m-HALF :ro roan Tenor LONDON, ENGLAND V h l mEmam m -emmm rnAYnRfM -iorramsir i on] mUsIoAI, immen e Applicationililed-jiruly 24, 1928,1hSerial 1a; '29

I lhisxinvention relatestopneumatically; op j erated. player mechanism for musical instru- I ments (hereinafter referred .to as,. pianofortes) in which each note is qoperatedl by a striking motor, or bellows, when the latter ls' Wexhausted of air the rarefaction ofwair in a wind chestgthroughthe medium of a valvu la-r device (under; the influence of: a 1 dia; width and are secured, in closeproximity to e52, andhirGreatBritain l e bruary 24, 192 s.

ftherein, theii'n'ner ends of which open into a" or rear,

hollow, orca vity, formed in its under, :side andlhavingfducts, also cast, or otherwise informed therein, by: which communication is eifeotedjbetween the respective valve cham- {bers and passagesinthe suction board.

The valve blocks; arefoifxrelativelyanarrow wphragmy securedto one sideof a*main suceach other, tothesuctionzboardin such posif tion board,"t o the other sideof which isusually secured the l said fstrikingwmotor,- or; belq 1 lows, communication between the interiors" of the said valvular device and the said striking motor;or bellows and between theinterior of the said valvular? device and the suction channel inthesaidmain suction board, respectively being efiected byv suitably ar ranged ducts or passages. As the number of valvular; devices fbellows necessary to operate all the-notes of anordinary pianoforte issuch that space will a not permit? of their being arranged in single rows, that is,a single rowlofvalvular devices "and a single row of striking motors, or belpractice tolarrange these in two orcmore rows, that-is, two or more rowsof valvular-"devices eachrowoffwhichfis l secured to a: separate suctiongboard; and two or more rows of striking motors l or bellows,

secured'to the Thisinvention hasforgitsobjectto provide c valvular devices which are "so' adaptedtthat a they can bemountedin two rows on one main suctioniboard havin g only one suctionchannel and also so adapted that a they can: be quickly and: easily attached jto andvdetaohed main suction board so; that. access can bereadily hadtotheidiaphragm and I purse pocketsandalsofto the ipassagesin the main suction board; The walvular devices 1 are made; or mainly .niade, Tof'metal or 0f material'which can beeasily cast or moulds ed and are so constructed that the valves thereincan be more ea'sily removed and replacedthan hithertd: i a a a 1 According tothis invention "the valvular devices consist in orycomprise'a number of valve blocks; each ofzwhich has two or more valve: chambers least, or otherwise formed and striking motors or otherv'side of the said;

2' ition relatively to the hollow or cavityin v tutes which by which each valveblock, consticliannel and either of the valve chambers in each valve blook,can be eflected. The pouch chambers maybe formed in a piece secured toxand removable with the valve block. In players infwhich itis required to employ both primary and secondary valvular devicesthe primary valvular devices may be arranged the sec on aryvalvular devices may been the main'suctionboard. I will more particularly ,clescribe this invention with reference to the j aecompanying jjdrawing' in which Figure 1 1 shows in transverse-section a ,boardprovided with secondary i vices' in accordance therewith.

valvular de- -other to the said suction board, and Figure 3 ti n' board p ovided? w h Referringmore particularlyito Figure 1, 1

; :tion ;channel, 3 i the passages therein leading ffroma valvular device lows, or motors, 1: actuating mechanism 6 which operates the ac- ;'tion proper of the instrument. In theari rangement shown the pouch chambers 7 are i forrned injalpiece 8 interposed between the valvularpiece andthe suction boardl, the said pouch chambers being shown communipou'chchambers that the on an auxiliary suction boardya-nd Figure 2 shows in plan, anumberof the said valvular devlcessecuredlln position relatively to each so in conjunction} with the member in the said pocketsare formed, a chamber communicatlon between the suction;

main suction dicates Ithe main suction; board; 2 the suc- 4 to the striking bel- 5:t0wl1ich are connected the cating with tubes 9 leading to the tracker bar fiv ce sown in Figure 3 bymeans of a port 10 opening-into a cavity 11in thequndersideof the said piece 8 with which passages 121'eada ing tothe said'tubes communicate. a

The whole of the pouch chambers ranged in'two suitably spaced rows longitu- 7 "which: Iopeng intof a. ;hl1ow, H V for'med in its. under side and having ducts dinally of the main suction boardl and in-the arrangement shov'vni a valvular device bis adapted 0 control the ducts 01' passages, ap pertaining to two p'ouchchambers.v

a a Each; valvular, dGVlCG comprlses a, valve block 4;hav1ngtwovalve chambersl cast or therwise formedtherein, the inner ends of also cast, or otherwise formedthereingbywhich communication is e'ifec'ted between the "respective valve chambers and the passages 3 r fladlllg to the strikihg fmotors, orf bellowsfi. Communication between the hollow, or; cav- --ity,; 14; and-the maims ctio channel 2; is f piece 8 in which the pouch chambers 7 are formed.- '1 The hollow, 01" cavity," 14 in each base-piece:

effected by a; passage 16 in the' or! block censtitutes, in conjunction 'withthe piece 8; a chamber whichacommunicati'on betweenthe maih suctionchannel 2 and either of the valve chamberSBis effected, LT. The piecefi -innwhich the-pouchchambers '7 BEG formed? and the valve block l are se h-curedretogether 'by.screws= 17 and 'both are 1 secured to themain suction} board 1 by screws 1 18 'passed through holes} formed in the saidi 1 pieces at or towards the ends thereof and by a central screw or-post, 19;passedthrough a' hole inthe said valveb-lock midway of the valvechanihersj 13 and thr ough thepassa'ge 16in: the said piece .8. The upper end of the 5 screw or post 19 screw-threade'dand is provideawim a nut:

The doubleeact-i'ng valve 21 which abuts it against" naiie f actuated "by a V 22%thr0ughwhichatmospheric aii'sis admitted intothe respective valvechanfibens13 isshownformed in I a cap piece- 26 removablylhelcl on, I L- orin; theopeniouteivendmfi the valve chamber v andi having a centraL boss. through which the 1 outer end of th valve stem24zpassesand con stitutes a guide theljefor. thevalVestemQLis guided in iaspider; formed Ichamben 135;, The construction and; arranget mentof theidouble actin-g}valvesg'2l. are such removingthe. cap-piece 26 from the :outereend ofi' avalve" chamber the said valve; be 1Wlhl1dfflnWIl1 fromfthe said I.

.' that, by

3. and itslstemgcan or cavity 1 4,,

A so that further description; is unnecessary.

be easily inserted; therein; -lllhei form; of the 0 which actsto; clamp the: said partslito the suctionboard 1."; I" Withineach ofthe valv 'e 'haF-hers 13'is a1 i but itnwfll be nnderstoodthatthessaid valves wsijcler ahle econ "effected and moreoven diaphragm 25 secured to thepiece 8 inwhich- .tlie peuchchamhers7 arefiovmed; The port-j to the'diaphragms T01:passages'leadingto the .pur-sesp l 1'; In pneumatically ope gated player "The inner endi of andea pouch hoard interposedt between. said valve block-randsaidrsuctiomboardl inthe port 23fat the inner endifof-the'valve The cap-pieces 26 maybe held imposition on the outerends-of the valve chambel by abridge-piece 27 slid- 1 i V able on the before mentioned central-screw; 01' post 19 and' held in? positionpthereon by a nut 28. To remove a cap-piece 26 it'is only necessary to unscrew the nut 28 130 pennit'the ends of thebridge-piece 27 being raised clear 7 ofthe outerendsof the stems 2t'so that the i said bridgepiece can 'be' turned out of the path of the cap-pieces whereupon either or both can bereinovedand accessto the dbuble acting valves-21 be had; Bleed holes'29 are.

provided through which air in the pouch V..e0 chambers and lnterconnecting passages bee tween thepouchchambersandthetl ackeii bar isexhaustedt The prima ry valvfuaaa sawn a Fi l ure-3' issubstantially the sameflas'theasecondj ary valvulardevice shown in Fi u These? in valvular V suctioniboai'd' 9 ured'to any suitable part devices are mounted? on anfauxiliai y :{of the injstrumentg in a similar."mannerv to the d a 7 V 901,? Theparts shown 1nF1guret3conrespondmg to the partsfshownuns F igu 'esr1 -and2 are marked -wlth the same numenalsa'of reference valvular devices shown inr-Figutes la and ith th'eaddition thereof oftheinde'xil'etten a, a :96. It will'be noticed, however, that the ducts 15?? leading ffompthe.valvechambers13?:aresitui I ated somewhat diflenently IEIOIILthG ducts 15 shown in Figural incl-den that the 1tubes '9 leadingtothe secondarywalvular devices can. 5

fdoubleracting valve 21 iSeShOW-nhby wayof example,- ing-valve21shownin: Figure 1 and the capdifi'erentlto that of the correspond-i piece and bridge-piece are dispensed l with, 1

could, if: desired be; similar to 1 those 1 shown in the "said; Figure 1,": and. the cap -pieces;and bridge-pieces ,:be provided.

By. cast ng. or otherwlse twoor moreevalve chambers with theinducts g forming tliierein flinwone baseplece orblochias 1afo11esaid,:con the innerflendfof anis'm for musical instruments, a valve block; 1

a suction boardiattached to saidzvalve'block;

said, suction boardt having passages therein -izo 'in combination with a pouch board interposed between said valve block andsaid suction board,lsaid pouch board having 1 ports therein cooperating with thepass ages in said suction board and with the valve chambers in said valve block. 1 l ll 3. In pneumatically operated playermech anism for musical instruments; avalve block having valve chambers therein, valves in the 4 do valve chambers,and.a suctionboard attached to said va1vebl0ck,"in combination with a pouch boardinterpos'ed between said valve f a block and said-suction board, cap pieces con-- stituting guides fol-said valves, and a bridge piece serving tohold said cap pieces iz'ljplaee,

a substantially as described. a a 4. In pneumatically operated player mechanism for musical mstrumentsa primary valvular device for co-acting with a secb ondary valvular device,said primary valvular device comprising an auxiliary suction board secured to anysuitablepart of the in-- strument, a valvularblock attached to said suction board, and apouch board interposed mg-between said suction boardjand said valve a name to this specificatlon.

block, 7 a In testimony whereof have signed my a ROBERT ENRYCQLLEN. i so 

